Part 2 · Chapter 4The Red Sea

The Red Sea. On January twenty-ninth, the island of Ceylon disappeared over the horizon, and the Nautilus, cruising at twenty miles an hour, slipped into the maze of canals separating the Maldives from the Laccadives.

"We even passed Kiltan Island, originally made of coral, discovered by Vasco da Gama way back in fourteen ninety-nine - one of nineteen main islands in the Laccadive Archipelago, located between ten° and fourteen° thirty' North latitude, and sixty-nine° fifty' seventy-two" East longitude.

We’d covered sixteen thousand, two hundred and twenty miles, or seven thousand, five hundred French leagues, from where we started in the Japanese Seas.

The next day (January thirtieth), when the Nautilus surfaced, there wasn't any land in sight. Our course was northeast, heading towards the Sea of Oman, between Arabia and the Indian Peninsula - basically a dead end. Where was Captain Nemo taking us? I had no clue.

This didn’t sit well with the Canadian, who came to me that day asking where we were headed.

"Wherever our Captain’s mood takes us, Master Ned," I replied.

"His fancy can’t take us far, then," the Canadian said. " The Persian Gulf’s a closed-off area: and if we go in, we won't be there long."

"Fair enough, we’ll come out again, Master Land. And if, after the Persian Gulf, the Nautilus feels like checking out the Red Sea, the Straits of Bab-el-mandeb are waiting to let us in."

"You don’t have to tell me, sir," Ned Land said, "that the Red Sea is just as blocked as the Gulf, since the Isthmus of Suez isn’t cut yet. And even if it was, a boat as mysterious as ours wouldn't risk it in a canal full of locks. And again, the Red Sea isn't the way back to Europe."

"But I never said we were going back to Europe." "So, what do you think?"

"I guess, after exploring the weird coasts of Arabia and Egypt, the Nautilus will head down the Indian Ocean again, maybe cross the Mozambique Channel, or maybe off the Mascarenhas Islands, to reach the Cape of Good Hope."

"And once we’re at the Cape of Good Hope?"

the Canadian asked, emphasizing his words.

"Well, then we’ll dive into that Atlantic we don't know yet. Ah, friend Ned, you're getting tired of this underwater journey; you’re overloaded with the constantly changing spectacle of submarine wonders. For my part, I’m going to be sad to see the end of a voyage so few people get to experience."

For four days, until February third, the Nautilus explored the Sea of Oman, at different speeds and depths. It felt random, like it was hesitating about which way to go, but we never crossed the Tropic of Cancer.

As we left the sea, we spotted Muscat for a moment, one of the most important towns in Oman. I admired its strange look, surrounded by black rocks where its white houses and forts stood out. I saw the rounded domes of its mosques, the elegant spires of its minarets, its fresh and green terraces.

But it was just a quick glimpse! The Nautilus soon sank beneath the waves.

We cruised along the Arabian coast of Mahrah and Hadramaut for about six miles, its wavy line of mountains occasionally broken by some ancient ruin.

On February fifth, we finally entered the Gulf of Aden, a perfect funnel leading into the neck of Bab-el-mandeb, where Indian waters flowed into the Red Sea.

On February sixth, the Nautilus floated in view of Aden, perched on a headland that a narrow strip of land connects to the mainland - like an inaccessible Gibraltar, with fortifications rebuilt by the English after they took over in eighteen thirty-nine.

I caught a glimpse of the octagon minarets of this town, which was once the richest trading center on the coast.

I honestly thought Captain Nemo would back out at this point, but I was wrong - it was a total surprise.

The next day, February seventh, we entered the Straits of Bab-el-mandeb, which, in Arabic, means "The Gate of Tears."

It’s only thirty-two miles long, but twenty miles wide. And for the Nautilus, going full speed, crossing took less than an hour. I didn’t see anything, not even the Island of Perim, which the British Government had fortified near Aden.

There were too many English and French ships - the Suez line to Bombay, Calcutta to Melbourne, and from Bourbon to Mauritius - traveling through this narrow passage for the Nautilus to show itself. So, it stayed safely below the surface. Finally, around noon, we were in the waters of the Red Sea.

I didn’t even try to figure out why Captain Nemo decided to enter the gulf. But I was totally on board with the Nautilus going in. Its speed slowed down, sometimes it stayed on the surface, sometimes it dove to avoid a ship, and I got to see both the top and bottom of this crazy sea.

February eighth, from the first light of day, Mocha came into view - now a ruined town, with walls that would crumble from a gunshot, but still sheltering some green date trees.

It used to be a major city, with six public markets and twenty-six mosques, and its walls, defended by fourteen forts, formed a two-mile circle.

Then the Nautilus approached the African coast, where the sea was deeper. There, between two waters clear as glass, we were allowed to look out through the open panels and see beautiful bushes of bright coral and huge rocks covered in a gorgeous green fuzz of seaweed.

What an unbelievable sight, and what a variety of sites and landscapes along these sandbars and volcanic islands that bordered the Libyan coast! But the shrubs looked their best on the eastern coast, which the Nautilus soon reached.

It was the coast of Tehama, where not only did these sea creatures flourish below the surface, but they also formed pretty patterns that stretched about sixty feet above the water - more random, but less colorful, than the ones kept fresh by the water.

What amazing hours I spent looking out the window of the saloon! What new plants and animals did I admire under the glow of our electric lights!

February ninth, the Nautilus floated in the widest part of the Red Sea, between Souakin on the west coast and Komfidah on the east coast, with a diameter of ninety miles.

That day at noon, after checking our location, Captain Nemo came up to the platform, where I happened to be. I was determined not to let him go without at least asking about his plans. As soon as he saw me, he approached and offered me a cigar.

"Well, sir, does this Red Sea impress you? Have you seen all the wonders it holds - its fish, its coral creatures, its sponge gardens, and its coral forests? Did you spot the towns along its shores?"

"Yes, Captain Nemo," I replied. " And the Nautilus is incredibly well-suited for studying it. Wow, it's like a smart boat!"

"Yes, sir, smart and unbreakable. It’s not scared of the Red Sea’s crazy storms, its currents, or its sandbars."

"Definitely," I said. "This sea is known as one of the worst, and in ancient times, if I remember correctly, it had a terrible reputation."

"Seriously, M. Aronnax. Greek and Latin historians aren’t exactly raving about it, and Strabo says it’s super dangerous during those Etesian winds and when it’s raining a lot."

"Arabian Edrisi calls it the Gulf of Colzoum and says tons of ships wrecked there on sandbars, and nobody would even risk sailing at night. He claims it’s a sea with crazy hurricanes, full of lonely islands, and ‘offers nothing good above or below.’"

"You can see," I said, "that these historians never took a ride on the Nautilus."

"Exactly," replied the Captain, smiling.

"And honestly, modern people aren’t much better than the ancient ones. It took ages to figure out how steam power works. Who knows, maybe in another hundred years, we’ll see a second Nautilus? Progress is slow, M. Aronnax."

"True," I answered. " Your boat is like, a century ahead of its time, maybe even an entire era. What a bummer that the secret of such an invention would die with its creator!"

Captain Nemo didn’t reply. After a bit of silence, he continued:

"You were talking about what ancient historians thought about how dangerous navigating the Red Sea was."

"That’s right," I said; "but weren’t their fears a little over the top?"

"Yeah, and no, M. Aronnax," replied Captain Nemo, who seemed to know the Red Sea inside and out.

"What’s not dangerous for a modern ship - one that’s well-equipped, strong, and in control thanks to obedient steam - was full of risks for the ships of the past. Picture those first navigators in ships made of planks sewn together with palm tree cords, soaked in seal grease, and covered in resin!"

They didn’t even have instruments to figure out where they were, and they were just guessing their way through currents they barely understood. Shipwrecks were, and had to be, common.

"But these days, steamers between Suez and the South Seas don't have anything to worry about, even with those crazy trade winds. The captain and passengers don't even offer sacrifices before they leave, and they don't come back covered in wreaths and gold to thank the gods at the temple."

"I totally agree," I said; "and it seems like steam has killed all gratitude in sailors' hearts. But, Captain, since you’ve obviously studied this sea, can you tell me where it got its name?"

"There are a bunch of explanations, M. Aronnax. Want to hear what a writer from the fourteenth century thought?" "Definitely."

"This creative writer claims it was named after the Israelites crossed it, when Pharaoh drowned in the waves after Moses’ voice."

"That’s a poet’s explanation, Captain Nemo," I replied; "but I need more than that. I want your opinion."

"Okay, here it is, M. Aronnax. My guess is that the name ‘Red Sea’ is a translation of the Hebrew word ‘Edom,’ and the ancients named it that because of the water’s unique color."

"But so far, I’m just seeing clear waves and no particular color."

"You’ll see it as we go deeper into the gulf. I remember seeing the Bay of Tor completely red, like a sea of blood."

"And you think that color comes from tiny seaweed?" "That’s right."

"So, Captain Nemo, this isn't the first time you’ve explored the Red Sea on board the Nautilus?" "Nope."

"Since you mentioned the Israelites and the disaster for the Egyptians earlier, I have to ask: have you found any underwater traces of that huge historical event?"

"No, sir, and for a really good reason." "What’s it about?"

"It’s that the place where Moses and his people passed is now so blocked up with sand that the camels can barely wash their legs there. You can imagine there wouldn't be enough water for my Nautilus."

"And the spot itself?" I asked.

"The spot’s located a little above the Isthmus of Suez, in the arm that used to be a deep inlet when the Red Sea reached the Salt Lakes. Whether that passage was a miracle or not, the Israelites crossed there to get to the Promised Land, and Pharaoh’s army died right on that spot."

"I think digging through the sand would turn up tons of weapons and tools from Egypt."

"That makes sense," I replied.

"And for the sake of archaeologists, let’s hope they dig there eventually, when new towns are built on the isthmus, after the Suez Canal is finished. A canal, though, that’s pretty useless to a ship like the Nautilus."

"Probably," said Captain Nemo.

"But useful to the whole world. The ancient civilizations really understood the importance of a connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean for trade. They just didn't think about digging a canal straight through, so they used the Nile as a shortcut."

Tradition says the canal connecting the Nile to the Red Sea was started by Sesostris. One thing’s for sure: in six hundred and fifteen BC, Necos started building a canal to bring water from the Nile across the Egyptian plains towards Arabia.

It took four days to travel up the canal, and it was so wide that two warships could sail side by side. Darius, son of Hystaspes, carried on the work, and Ptolemy II probably finished it.

Strabo wrote about it being used: but it sloped so slightly from its start near Bubastes to the Red Sea that it was only navigable for a few months each year. It served all the trade needs until Antonius’s time, when it was abandoned and filled with sand.

Caliph Omar restored it, but Caliph Al-Mansor destroyed it for good in seven hundred and sixty-one or seven hundred and sixty-two, to prevent supplies from reaching Mohammed-ben-Abdallah, who was rebelling against him.

"During his Egyptian expedition, your General Bonaparte found traces of the work in the Suez Desert, and he nearly drowned when surprised by the tide, just before reaching Hadjaroth - the same place where Moses camped three thousand years earlier."

"Well, Captain, what the ancients couldn't do, this connection between the two seas, which will shorten the route from Cadiz to India, M. Lesseps has managed to accomplish. Before long, he’s going to turn Africa into a giant island."

"Yes, M. Aronnax; you have every right to be proud of your countryman. He brings more honor to a nation than great military leaders. He started out facing disgust and setbacks, but he triumphed because he has the willpower to succeed."

"It’s sad to think that a project like that - one that should have been an international effort and would have made a reign famous - succeeded thanks to the energy of just one person. All honor to M. Lesseps!"

"Yes! Honor to the great citizen," I replied, surprised by the way Captain Nemo had just spoken.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "I can’t take you through the Suez Canal, but you’ll be able to see the long jetty of Port Said after tomorrow, when we’ll be in the Mediterranean."

"The Mediterranean!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, sir. Does that surprise you?"

"What surprises me is to think we’ll be there the day after tomorrow." "Really?"

"Yes, Captain. Though, by now, I should probably be used to being surprised by everything since I’ve been on your boat."

"But what’s the reason for this surprise?"

"Seriously! You’re saying the Nautilus has to go super fast if we’re going to be in the Mediterranean the day after tomorrow? After circling Africa and going around the Cape of Good Hope?" "Who told you that, sir?"

"Well, unless the Nautilus can drive on land, or go over the isthmus - - " "Or under it, M. Aronnax." "Under it?"

"Definitely," Captain Nemo said calmly.

"A long time ago, Nature created what’s under this strip of land - the same thing humans have done on the surface."

"You mean... a passage like that actually exists?"

"Yep; a secret passage, and I call it the Arabian Tunnel. It takes us under Suez and opens into the Gulf of Pelusium."

"But isn’t that isthmus just quicksand?"

"Down to a certain point. But there’s a solid layer of rock just fifty-five yards down."

"Did you just stumble onto this passage?" I asked, getting more and more shocked.

"A little luck, but mostly thinking; and I figured it out more than I got lucky. Not only does the passage exist, but I’ve used it a few times. Without it, I wouldn't have dared enter the Red Sea today."

I noticed that there were certain fish in the Red Sea and in the Mediterranean - fish that were exactly the same. Figuring that had to mean something, I wondered if there was a way for them to connect.

If there was, the underwater current would have to run from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, because of the difference in water levels. I caught a bunch of fish near Suez. I put a copper ring through their tails and threw them back in.

"A few months later, on the coast of Syria, I caught some of my fish - and they still had the rings. That proved there was a connection. Then I searched for it with the Nautilus; I found it, went into it, and before long, you will too, sir! You’ll be going through my Arabian tunnel!"